Zooman March 2015 USA Southern States tour

Zooman, thanks for the updated comments from your great zoo trip. A few bits and bobs for you to think about:

- do you have a list of your 10 favourite American zoos? I know that you've mentioned favourites to me in the past and I was curious if places like DAK, North Carolina or any others would now be amongst your top zoos.

- if Columbus were to shift its gorillas and bonobos into new exhibits near the Heart of Africa zone, then what would take the place of the current African Forest complex? Any ideas being tossed around?

- was DAK worth the price that you paid? At almost $400 that must have surely been the most expensive zoo visit of your life!

- I'm glad that I steered you in the direction of Riverbanks and I knew that you'd enjoy the lush gorilla exhibit there. What did you think of the small elephant enclosure? The elephants only have about a half-acre of space, but the red dust/clay that is in the exhibit makes the animals appear reddish in colour.
 
zooman said:
Zoo 14. DAK $100 Ent $17 parking $249 3hour Africa Trek
Firstly for the interest of anyone who has not been to a big USA theme park. Parking is a huge logistic endeavour! Followed the lead of other visitors and took photos of where I parked, seriously the car park is bigger than allot of city zoo's. Then a shuttle train to the entrance to DAK with the driver / cast member telling allot of cheesy jokes ;) and exactly the same jokes on the return shuttle...

The Tour, it was genuinely amazing.

Walking along a long suspension bridge (with safety harness) below is the man made river with a herd of female hippos and next to that 20 odd Nile crocodile. Then the safari bus drives past! Seriously could have been in Africa.

The personal safari truck where the driver navigates to the best view point of the animal then stops as your personal photographer takes the perfect pictures

Then lunch at the safari look out overlooking the plains, it was picture perfect!
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Is this a new experience at the park, is it on the left hand side of the safari, just past the black rhino?
 
snowleopard said:
Zooman, thanks for the updated comments from your great zoo trip. A few bits and bobs for you to think about:

- do you have a list of your 10 favourite American zoos? I know that you've mentioned favourites to me in the past and I was curious if places like DAK, North Carolina or any others would now be amongst your top zoos.

- if Columbus were to shift its gorillas and bonobos into new exhibits near the Heart of Africa zone, then what would take the place of the current African Forest complex? Any ideas being tossed around?

- was DAK worth the price that you paid? At almost $400 that must have surely been the most expensive zoo visit of your life!

- I'm glad that I steered you in the direction of Riverbanks and I knew that you'd enjoy the lush gorilla exhibit there. What did you think of the small elephant enclosure? The elephants only have about a half-acre of space, but the red dust/clay that is in the exhibit makes the animals appear reddish in colour.
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Mmm will have a think about top 10? Riverbanks and NCZ are certainly contenders.

No idea re Columbus it was not mentioned what they would do.

Yes it was a big day $400 and that's US! But I will be back and do it again in a couple of years with the family.

The elephant enclosure is appalling and the weakest part of the zoo, however to enlarge is probably not a great option as from what I have seen the USA has a real shortage of breeding females and there are many big zoos waiting for females.
 
kiang said:
Is this a new experience at the park, is it on the left hand side of the safari, just past the black rhino?
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Hi Kiang,
Given the infrastructure required I think it has been there if not from the start a very long time and the entrance is between the regular line and express line for the economy safari ;)
 
snowleopard said:
- if Columbus were to shift its gorillas and bonobos into new exhibits near the Heart of Africa zone, then what would take the place of the current African Forest complex? Any ideas being tossed around?
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In the zoo's new master plan, they are wanting to relocate the entire African Forest region along with some new additions to the other side of the zoo, allowing that area to be an expansion of the Islands region, incorporating new Southeast Asian species and a new orangutan exhibit.
 
TheMightyOrca said:
This all sounds so fun! I gotta do a zoo tour sometime.
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You are dead right Zoo touring is amazing and a little exhausting in a good way.

What never stops amazing me is the reaction from average Mr & Mrs Smith they are usually very intrigued and amazed, while on Zoochat it's always why wouldn't you :)

Devil fish and I reflected just how lucky we are to have such a passion as it seems that so many people do not. When asked about what they love doing many people have little that really gets them going.

Also zoo touring is amazing exercise I have lost about 6kg on this trip :)

Now in the lounge at LAX waiting for my flight and the frequently hinted chocolate moose is calling me :))
 
Zoo 17 Palm Beach $18.95 ENT and way over priced.

Best thing about this zoo the old fashioned street sign I really liked it :)
 

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Zoo 18 Miami Metro $17.95 ENT

Amazon the three forest areas. This was incredibly disappointing with small enclosures for the cats and what was even worse was the Night Monkey enclosure see pic. For a reasonably new series of exhibits the area has also aged very badly looking dirty and unkept throughout!

The rest of the zoo was okay a diverse interesting collection with a reasonable to good standard of enclosures.
 

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Zoo 19 Jungle Island $20 ENT
This business is I believe a breeding centre for the Florida pet trade.

They did have a huge surprise in the interactive bird show a adult cassowary came on stage and swallowed an apple and we all watched it progress down his throat !
 
Zoo 20 ENT free thx David :)

When I was last here I left very disappointed as most of the zoo was closed for the elephant exhibit construction. Now completed and this zoo is very well reviewed by others.

I enjoyed it especially seeing 3 baby chimps all around sane age 6-12 months? very active group and a very cute baby hippo. How many times will we hear that make hippo shouldn't have been fertile!!
 
20 Zoos and Aquarium
24 days
4,200 Miles

Lots of highlights but after driving all those miles alone with heaps of time to think. I am thinking that maybe that's my last big zoo tour for awhile. Could be time to spend that money towards buying some land....
 
zooman said:
20 Zoos and Aquarium
24 days
4,200 Miles

Lots of highlights but after driving all those miles alone with heaps of time to think. I am thinking that maybe that's my last big zoo tour for awhile. Could be time to spend that money towards buying some land....
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Love that of a good book a hook to the next part of the story, i do hope when you get back and a little time you will be able to post some more photos from your epic journey.
 
zooman said:
Zoo 20 ENT free thx David :)

When I was last here I left very disappointed as most of the zoo was closed for the elephant exhibit construction. Now completed and this zoo is very well reviewed by others.

I enjoyed it especially seeing 3 baby chimps all around sane age 6-12 months? very active group and a very cute baby hippo. How many times will we hear that make hippo shouldn't have been fertile!!
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What Zoo was this?

Sounds like an awesome trip zooman, very jealous! :cool:
 
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